Content delivery from home networks

Abstract

A method for retrieving content on a network comprising a first device and a second device is described. The method includes receiving in the network a request for content from the first device, the request identifying the content using an IPv6 address for the content, and determining whether the content is stored in a cache of the second device. Upon determining the content is stored in the cache of the second device, a request is sent to the second device for the content using the IPv6 address of the content. The content is forwarded to the first device from the second device, wherein the first and second devices are part of the same layer 2 domain. Methods of injecting content to a home network and packaging content are also described.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 receiving, at a routing device of a home network, a request for content from a first device of the home network, the request identifying the content using an IPv6 address for the content; 
 determining, by the routing device of the home network in response to receiving the request for the content, whether the content is stored in a cache of a second device of the home network, wherein each of a plurality of devices of the home network is operative to advertise presence of the content and the IPv6 address of the content to other of the plurality of devices of the home network; 
 upon determining the content is stored in the cache of the second device, determining, by the routing device of the home network, that accessing the content from the second device in the home network has a lower latency than accessing the content from a content server; 
 sending, by the routing device of the home network in response to determining that accessing the content from the second device has a lower latency than accessing the content from a content server, the request to the second device for the content using the IPv6 address of the content; and 
 forwarding the content to the first device from the second device, wherein the first and second devices are part of the same layer 2 domain. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising sending the request for content using the IPv6 address to a content server on the home network. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the routing device determines a route for delivering the content to the first device via devices which are capable of caching and/or delivering the content and the content is forwarded to the first device using this route. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the content comprises a plurality of chunks and the first device receives chunks of the content from more than one device and/or content server. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the content comprises two or more chunks and the routing device receives the request for a plurality of chunks of the content. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first device receives a first chunk of the content from the second device and a second chunk of the content from another device. 
     
     
       7. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores a set of instructions which when executed perform a method for injecting content to a home network, the method comprising:
 receiving a request for content from a first device of a home network; 
 determining, in response to receiving the request for the content, whether the content is stored in a cache of a second device of the home network, wherein the second device of the home network is operative to:
 receive the content, wherein the content comprises an IPv6 address, the IPv6 address comprising an identifier of the content, 
 store the content in a storage device associated with the second device, and 
 advertising a route to the IPv6 address of the content stored in the storage device; 
 
 in response to determining the content is stored in the storage device associated with the second device, determining that accessing the content from the storage device has a lower latency than accessing the content from a content server; 
 sending, in response to determining that accessing the content from the storage device has a lower latency than accessing the content from the content server, the request to the storage device for the content using the IPv6 address of the content; and 
 forwarding the content to the first device from the storage device. 
 
     
     
       8. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 7 , wherein the content is previously accessed by one or more devices connected to the home network. 
     
     
       9. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 7 , wherein the content is injected in the home network from an Over the Top (OTT) provider. 
     
     
       10. An apparatus comprising:
 a memory storage; and 
 a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to:
 receive a request for content from a first device of a home network; 
 determine, in response to receiving the request for the content, whether the content is stored in a cache of a second device of the home network, wherein the second device of the home network is operative to:
 receive the content, 
 generate a content package for the received content, wherein the content package comprises an IPv6 address having a first part comprising a prefix identifying the home network and a second part comprising an identifier of the content, 
 store the content in a storage device associated with the second device in the home network, and 
 advertise a route to the IPv6 address of the content stored in the storage device; 
 
 in response to determining the content is stored in the storage device associated with the second device, determine that accessing the content from the storage device has a lower latency than accessing the content from a content server; 
 send, upon determining that accessing the content from the storage device has a lower latency than accessing the content from the content server, the request to the storage device; and 
 forward the content to the first device from the storage device. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the second device being operative to receive the content comprises the second device being operative to receive a stream of content or reading content from a content file. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the prefix identifying the home network comprises a global IPv6 prefix or Unique Local Address prefix for the home network. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the global IPv6 prefix or Unique Local Address prefix is received from a connected ISP. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the processing unit being further operative to calculate the second part of the IPv6 address comprising the identifier of the content based on parameters associated with the content. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the processing unit determines a route for delivering the content to the first device via devices which are capable of caching and/or delivering the content and the content is forwarded to the first device using this route. 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 7 , wherein the instructions when executed perform the method further comprising determining a route for delivering the content to the first device via devices which are capable of caching and/or delivering the content and the content is forwarded to the first device using the determined route. 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 7 , wherein the content comprises a plurality of chunks and the first device receives chunks of the content from more than one device and/or content server. 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 7 , wherein the identifier comprises a prefix identifying the home network, and wherein the prefix comprises a global IPv6 prefix or Unique Local Address prefix for the home network. 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 18 , wherein the global IPv6 prefix or Unique Local Address prefix is received from a connected ISP. 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 7 , wherein the IPv6 address comprises a first part comprising a prefix identifying the home network and a second part comprising the identifier of the content.